Gurgaon: A gangster linked to multiple criminal networks in Haryana was brought back to India after an international chase, with Special Task Force (STF) securing his deportation from Thailand within a day of his arrival there.Sahil Chauhan alias Sahil Rana, a 26-year-old resident of Ambala, was arrested at Indira Gandhi International Airport by an STF team from Ambala after being deported from Thailand on April 10. He is wanted by multiple agencies, including National Investigation Agency, and is linked to at least 16 criminal cases involving serious offences such as murder, attempt to murder, extortion, robbery and violations of the Arms Act.Police said Chauhan is a key member of the Bhuppi Rana, Davinder Bambiha and Kaushal Chaudhary gangs, and has been active in organised crime across districts including Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Ambala and Panchkula. His criminal trajectory began in 2016, when a college rivalry escalated into violent clashes between rival groups.Chauhan was earlier convicted in a 2017 attempt-to-murder case registered in Yamunanagar and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The case stemmed from a violent attack on a rival, Monu Rana, during a dispute linked to student politics. Despite his conviction, he continued to maintain links with organised criminal networks.According to STF chief B Satheesh Balan, Chauhan fled India in Nov 2024 after securing bail. He first escaped to Dhaka before moving across several countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Angola and Vietnam. “He also ran a furniture shop in Bali and attempted to escape through the ‘donkey route’. He travelled from Angola to Portugal, where he was denied onward travel and returned to Bali,” Balan said.Balan added that gangsters Pawan Shokeen and Manjot were in contact with Chauhan during his stay in Angola. “We are now investigating how he financed his travel across multiple countries and sustained himself abroad. We will also identify associates who may have helped him operate an extortion racket,” he said.STF SP Waseem Akram said Chauhan arrived in Thailand on April 9, 2026, reportedly to arrange medical treatment for his father, including dialysis, and to renew his father’s passport for travel. However, intelligence inputs shared by Punjab Police with Haryana authorities led to swift coordination, resulting in his detention and deportation within 24 hours.Authorities revealed that Chauhan, along with two others, fraudulently obtained a passport using a fake address in Bengaluru. The passport was impounded on March 17, 2026, and a Look Out Circular and Red Corner Notice had already been issued against him. An open-dated arrest warrant was also pending in connection with a 2024 case registered at Shahzadpur police station in Ambala under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Passport Act.Officials said this marks the fifth successful deportation by STF Haryana in 2026, following earlier deportations of Ankit Shokeen, Aman Bhainswal, Sombir Motta and Shilu Dahar.Balan said STF Haryana is also pursuing the deportation of other gangsters from abroad. “Efforts are underway to bring back Lovepreet, detained in the US, Venkatesh Garg in Georgia and Inderjit Singh Yadav from Dubai,” he added.Chauhan is currently in custody, and further investigation is underway to probe his interstate and international criminal links. He will be produced before a court in Yamunanagar, following which STF will seek his custody for interrogation.
